Matt is an obsessive-compulsive patient with a need to reread every sentence twenty-five times.For an hour in therapy,his doctor asks him to read sentences written with disappearing ink.After initial panic and anxiety,Matt finds his compulsive need to be abating.The doctor is using a therapeutic method called

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The therapeutic method being used is flooding, which involves exposing the patient to a highly anxiety-provoking stimulus and continuing the exposure until the anxiety decreases. In this case, the disappearing ink creates a highly anxiety-provoking stimulus for Matt, but by continuing to read the sentences despite the disappearing ink, his compulsive need begins to abate. Cognitive restructuring involves changing negative thought patterns, psychoanalysis involves exploring unconscious processes and past experiences, and imagery involves using mental images to promote relaxation or to address personal issues.

Matt Is an Obsessive-Compulsive Patient with a Need to Reread